Master each song individually then bring it all together or as a whole album?

[Big 3rd]

An engineer, whom I was considering to master my album, told me that it's better to master each song individually then put the album together .....instead of mixing the whole album and then bringing in the whole album as one piece to be mastered.

It was funny because that was what I was going to do...I wanted to put all my songs in chronological order, then bring it in to be finished.

What is your take on this?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to get this done right.

[swimslowly]

Well, normally albums have "tracks" and those are mastered individually (but in the same session) to account for differences in levels, eq and dynamics between the tracks - so that the album as a whole is cohesive. I can't imagine a mastering engineer mastering "each song indivdually" on different days with the expectation that they were going to put together a cohesive album.

In any case, this is how it normally happens:

1. finish mixing your album (all the tracks).
2. sequence your tracks into an album.
3. write down what you want for track spacing/fades/and anything else relevant (hidden tracks, monkey noises at 04:55, etc)
4. compile all of your music onto a master tape, dvd, or a data cd and print out what you came up with for #3.
5. attend the session and/or mail it off with contact information in case the engineer has questions.....
6. approval/revisions
7. send master cd for duplication
8. have a party
9. have another party
10. start stuffing envelopes
11. continue stuffing envelopes
12. send emails
13. more emails
14. play some shows
15. start recording again
16. back to #1

If a mastering engineer wants to get one track at a time and master them into an album over the course of a week, and then compile them into an album - that seems a little odd. But maybe I'm not clear on your question.

Ryland

[Cellotron]

I think if you are going to master an album (and not a single) then it's CRITICAL to master the tracks all at once - because one of the most essential elements of mastering is not only making sure each track sounds the best it can, but also that the flow of the album from track to track has been optimized - which means placing each of the tracks in the context of the tracks that follow and precede it - both iin terms of average level and balance of spectrum. The basic idea being is that if someone turns your album on, adjusts the 1st track to a comfortable listening level and then goes to sit down on the couch opposite of the stereo controls - you never want to make them feel like they suddenly have to get up to adjust or volume controls when the next track comes on. To me it is much much easier to do this when mastering all tracks at a single session than it is do to this in an extended perioud of time where the subject of context can not be addressed.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

To me it is much much easier to do this when mastering all tracks at a single session than it is do to this in an extended perioud of time where the subject of context can not be addressed.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Not only is it easier, I believe it's pretty much "impossible" to do it otherwise. I try not to mix and master the same album, but in a recent case, the client requested that I mix and master his album and there was no budget for a separate mixing engineer. I mixed over a period of months in between my normal mastering sessions for other albums. When it came to the mastering session for this album I had mixed, it was interesting to see how consistent (or inconsistent) my mixing was. In mastering, in retrospect, I did tweaks as much as 1 to 2 dB in some frequency ranges.

But the track which ended up first on the final CD had a distinctly different, somewhat brighter tonality than the mix of track 2. Some of it is definitely the music and the arrangement, but it only becomes obvious whether you need to apply more warming or make a "fuller" sound when you hear the end of track one going into the beginning of track two.

The object is not to make the album sound homogenous, boring and all the same---not at all----but rather to make it "compatible." The tracks should flow, you don't have to match EQ exactly, but when you join two tunes, if it doesn't feel right and if warming up track 1 to more closely fit the tonality of track 2 makes it all come together, then that's the solution. And that's part of our job, helping to make a holistic album. There's no way to be holistic without having----the whole!

[Jerry Tubb]

We've had folks bring in 1-3 songs at a time over the course of a year or two, to build a 12-14 song master, as they finish mixing each batch of songs.

It's not so hard for us to be consistent, esp if we make notes as to gear, and a few example settings, but it can be difficult for the client, as players, engineers, studios, equipment, production & mixing concepts can change over the course of year :~)

At that point if you don't reference the previous group of tracks for vocal level and overall mix balance, it can begin to sound disjointed. I've gotten to the end of a long term mastering project and redone a few of the earlier tracks to tighten up the consistency.

More than once we've mastered a CD where the tracks were done over the span of a decade (or more), that one can be tough to get consistent, various Analog formats, some ADAT, PCM, DAT, CD-R, , Hi-Res B-WAV, and even cassette ... gasp! At that point you kinda have to let it be what it's gonna be... a retrospective anthology!

my offering of random free associations tonight... JT

[Big 3rd]

Some great responses guys. I figured that most ME would want the whole album as a whole. Thanks for confirming that with me.

I'd told the guy that I'd bring each individual track in when I'm done mixing them...to let him evaluate the mix and whether or not it is actually ready for mastering. But once he OKs the mix, I will wait til the album is done before anything is mastered.

Thanks.

[Reza]

If you're doing a whole album over a long space of time (like a year), but you really want to get the first 2 or 3 songs mastered as a demo or even just for fun to hear what they'll sound like, then just get them mastered for cheap somewhere.

Then when the whole album's done get it all mastered by the best mastering engineer you can afford - in one session.

Rez

[Big 3rd]

Originally Posted by Reza

If you're doing a whole album over a long space of time (like a year), but you really want to get the first 2 or 3 songs mastered as a demo or even just for fun to hear what they'll sound like, then just get them mastered for cheap somewhere.

Then when the whole album's done get it all mastered by the best mastering engineer you can afford - in one session.

Rez

Yep...most likely my project will take about a good year or so. But I will only go for the gusto...one shot one kill.

[cerberus]

i think chris athens gave the best answer to this q i've read yet:

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...421#post833421

jeff dinces